Melo Commission urged to get generals testimonies on killings

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PUBLISHED ON June 26, 2007 AT 5:41 PM

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MANILA — The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today challenged the government-created Melo Commission to investigate and acquire the testimonies of the three anonymous generals who have implicated the Armed Forces in the Philippines in the killings of activists.

“The Melo Commission should find a way to get the testimonies of the generals while ensuring their safety. If the Melo Commission is serious in continuing its investigations into the killings then it must speak up now and show interest in the testimonies of the generals,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“The Melo Commission has been awfully quiet in the face of these serious allegations which it is supposed to investigate,” Reyes added.

The Melo Commission had taken the testimonies of AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and M/Gen. Jovito Palparan during the course of its initial investigation into the killings last year.

“The Commission can take the written testimonies of the generals and withhold their identity from the public. The Commission should extend all possible support and protection for these generals. If the Commission is successful in protecting the identities and ensuring the safety of the generals, this can encourage more officers to testify against the policy of extrajudicial killings,” Reyes said.

Court martial awaits generals?

Reyes also assailed the AFP for threatening the three generals with possible sanctions after their expose’ on the killings. Armed Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro has hinted that the generals will also be investigated if they violated any military rules in the airing of their grievances.

“It is so easy for the AFP and Malacanang to ask these generals to come out. After the court martial of Gen. Gudani and Col. Balutan, no military officer would dare come out in the open and testify against this administration. Another court martial may be awaiting the three generals as already hinted by the AFP spokesperson,” Reyes said.

“Instead of providing protection for whistleblowers, the AFP is seeking to punish the three generals for airing their grievances to the media. The AFP leadership, still in a state of denial, cannot be trusted to protect the witnesses,” he added.

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Melo Commission urged to get generals testimonies on killings

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